Premier League Title Chase Starts Now

It may seem strange, but I can't help feeling that the Premiership hasn't really started yet.

Despite the fact that all but two teams have played 11 games, we still don't have an unequivocal leader with both Chelsea and Liverpool locked together on 26 points. If the points were scored like goals in 5-a-side, it would still be 0-0!

Liverpool went "three up" a fortnight ago now, but couldn't hold their lead for more than seven days. 

That defeat against Spurs was just one event in a dismal few weeks for the "big four". 

Chelsea were beaten by Liverpool and Roma but struck five past Sunderland in between. United drew with Everton the day before Chelsea's first defeat of the season, missing an opportunity to gain on them, and only just grabbed a late draw against Celtic this week.

Meanwhile, for Arsenal, things have been somewhat worse. Defeat to Stoke was simply not good enough and they could only manage a draw in Europe. Add to that the loss of Walcott, Van Persie, and Adebayor and you realise they are struggling, though I would still maintain that their season is far from over.

Liverpool lost that unbeaten record to a revitalized Tottenham and could only manage a draw against Atletico Madrid, a side who they underestimated twice. 

However, all these teams have some good points to look at. Chelsea's goal difference means that, in an event two teams finishing on the same number of points, they would surely win. United have recovered from their early season loss of form and look to be improving constantly as Berbatov settles and Ronaldo gets back to full fitness. 

Liverpool have Fernando Torres back and Robbie Keane should start playing well soon. As for Arsenal, things can only get better!

In all cases, the point remains that it is how they bounce back from the events of the last two weeks that decide the destination of the Premier League Trophy.

Liverpool must emulate Chelsea, in returning to winning ways straight after defeat. Chelsea must deal with the pressures that come with top-spot in a tight race, and while United could end Arsenal's title hopes this year over the weekend, an Arsenal win would mean that any of them had a genuine chance of winning the league.

As a Liverpool fan, and knowing their fixtures for the next 10 games, 25 points is a very realistic target out of the 30 on offer. Looking at Chelsea's upcoming games over the same period, they must feel they could match Liverpool even if they lost to both Manchester United and Arsenal.

United and Arsenal must chase the top two but both squads have the quality to sustain an attack over a number of games.

Come the turn of the year, with 20 games having been played, we will have a much better idea of who will win the league.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks I firmly believe that the title race, and chase, will get under way this weekend.